Sunday 28 May 2017

Some food

A couple of foodie treats this week, firstly sausages cooked in the oven, over caramelised onions and peppers, balsamic vinegar optional. About an hour at 180°C, turning once or twice.




followed by a fish pie, that's salmon, smoked haddock and pollock in a cheese sauce with peas, 


topped with mashed potato and sweet potato, the photo is a bit blurred,



and the piece de resistance, an old-school trifle, featuring the leftover carrot cake cupcakes and this lot,


break up the cakes and put them in a bowl, 



add the fruit and mix together,



and pour the jelly over and mix again. 



Let it set in the fridge then top with the custard.



Culinary heaven!

Wednesday 24 May 2017

Sunday 14 May 2017

Hot pot and Mackerel fishcakes

One thing that I could never get my children to eat was lamb hot-pot. I don't know why? after all, they liked lamb, I think it was the butter beans that put them off.

Anyway, now that they all have gone off to cook for themselves, I like to make it for Yvonne and I and I've added a little twist of my own to it.

First, the lamb, chunks from the leftovers from our roast.



Cut the meat into small pieces and put it into a casserole with the spare gravy, add the butter beans (or not)



then add chopped onion, carrots and some frozen peas.



Give it a stir, this is when it stops looking quite so nice but bear with it, things will get better.



Top with sliced sweet potato,



and top that with the pre-cooked potato skins that I'm always banging on about. If you don't know the secret of these, look HERE. They're a great way to avoid food waste.



Now all you have to do is cook it at 180°C for about an hour and a half, until the onion and sweet potato are soft.

Next up this week, Mackerel fishcakes. The first job is to dry some bread, 140°C for an hour and make some breadcrumbs.



Take your Mackerel, I found these in a local shop, a little easier than fresh as I was in a rush.




drain the sauce and mash the fish, adding Balsamic vinegar and salt/pepper to taste.



Get some mashed potato and sweet potato mixture,



combine, and then form into cakes,



cover with flour,


then the breadcrumbs and you're done.